Coke puller



Aug. 16, 1932. s. w. WATTS ET AL LEFEEBZ COKE FULLER Filed Feb. 20, 1930 George CU waits wallace B- maihsws 3% h F I Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UHTED stars GEORGE W. WATTS, OF WHI'IING, INDIANA, AND WALLACE B. MATHEWS, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS T STANDARD OIL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CQR- IPORATION OF INDIANA COKE FULLER,

Application filed February 20, 1980. Serial No. 429,935.

This invention relates to a coke puller and it pertains more particularly to an apparatus and a method of removing coke from the react-ion chamber of cracking units. Much of the gasoline which is manufactured from crude petroleum oils is produced. by cracking heavy charging stocks such as gas'oil or reduced crude in a large reaction chamber or soaking drum. Under these cracking conditions part of the oil is converted into low boiling point hydrocarbons such asgasoline, and part converted into coke. As the process continues the coke content of the chamber increases until finally the chamber is almost filled with a solid'mass of coke. The removal of this coke has been a serious problem, and the object of our invention is to provide a method and means of solving this problem.

A further object is to provide an improved means for supporting anchors in a reaction chamber whereby each anchor may be consecutively pulled to dislodge a quantity of coke without pulling any of the anchors which remain buried.

A further object-is to provide improved means for releasably supporting anchors in V a reaction chamber and for removing coke by means of said anchors.

Other objects will be apparent as the detailed description of our invention proceeds.

It has been proposed to suspend a flexible element such as a chain within the reaction chamber and to dislodge the coke by pulling the end of this chain. The chain, however does not always hold and it tends to slip through the mass, or, if spaced vertically, to become frozen in place and immovable. This invention contemplates the removal of coke in small chunks by means of anchors which are so mounted in the reaction chamber that each lower anchor may be separately pulled without in any way affecting the anchors which are mounted above it.

Our invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein similar parts are designated by like reference characters throughoutthe several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation partly in section showing our improved coke pulling means and apparatus associated therewith.

Figure 2 is adetail showing a means for relgasably supporting the slack in the chain, an

. Figure 3 is a detailshowing the plan of our anchor.

' Referring to Figure 1 the charging stocks which may be toppedcrude or gas oil is introduced by pipe 10 to pipestill 11 where it is heated to a temperature slightly above that necessary for the cracking reaction. The hot oil-is conducted through pipe 12 and valve 13 to the reaction chamber or".soaking drum 14, both the reaction chamber and the conduit being suitably insulated with asbestos or similar material 15.

Gasoline and other lightfvapors are withdrawnfrom the reaction chamber through the conduit 16 and are introduced near the base 4 into a rectifying tower 17 which be equipped with bubble plates or other means for rectifying the distilled vapors. The r-ectified vapors from column 17 are conducted by conduit 18 to a suitable condenser 19 from which they are led to'suitable separators by pipe 20. The reflux is withdrawn from the base of the column by pipe 21.

The reaction chamber 1 1 which forms the subject matter of this invention is provided with a relatively large lower outlet which is closed by bolting-or otherwisesecuring the hinged base plate 22 to the outwardlyextending flange 23 at the base of the chamber. A plurality of chains 24, 25 and 26 are mounted in said drum, each chain. having a plurality of anchors 27 secured thereto at spaced intervals. The-chain hangs. down freely from the lowermost anchor, but between every pair of anchors on a chain we provide a loop or slack portion 28 which may be formed by securing one of the lower, links of this portion of the chain to the upper anchor by a severable wire 29, the end of the loop' or slack portion being supported, if desired, by a similar When the anchors are secured in place the cover 22 is bolted to flange 23 and the cracking process is continued until the reaction chamber is almost solid with coke. The reaction chamber is then cooled, plate 22 is swung downwardly as shown in Figure 1 and the end of chain 24 is hooked on to a cable 33 which is trained over pulley 34 and wound on a motor driven Windlass 35. By this means enormous force can be exerted on anchor a and the coke can be dislodged from the mouth of the chamber. As anchor a is dislodged the wires 29 and 30 are severed and the slack 28 allows the chain to move downwardly with anchor a without disturbing or exerting any force on anchor b.

The chain is again pulled to sever wires 29 and 30 so that anchor b dislodges a second quantity of coke. The cable is then hooked to chain 25 and anchor a is pulled,the anchors cl, 6, f, g, 71., etc., are pulled in sequence until all of the coke has been removed from the reaction chamber.

It will be observed that we have provided a positive anchor or gripping means to prevent the chain from slipping through the coke. The anchor is shown as an iron cross but it is understood that a disk or any other suitable shape may be used. Other equivalent tension means may be used instead of chains 24, 25 and 26, the word chain in this specification being hereby defined as a flexible tension element. The loop or slack portionof the chain may be held by a spring detent or by any equivalent device. Motor driven Windlass 35 is merely an example of a means to exert tension on the chains 24, 25 and 26.

In the above description we have described our improved apparatus as a coke puller. It is understood, however, that this device may be used for any analogous purpose where it is desired to remove a solidified mass from a cooler or solidifying chamber.

While we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention it is understood that we are not limited to the details therein set forth, except as defined by the following claims:

We claim:

1. In a coke pulling device, a chain, a plurality of anchors mounted on said chain, a loop in said chain between said anchors, and breakable tying means for holding said loop in said chain.

2. In a coke pulling device a reaction in, a plurality of anchors fixed on each chain, means for releasably holding a loop in each chain between said anchors, and means for selectively pulling said chains to dislodge contiguous portions of coke.

3. In a device of the class described, a chamber adapted to hold a solidified mass, a chain mounted in said chamber, a plurality of anchors secured to said chain, and a breakable tie for holding loops in said chain between said anchors whereby one anchor may be pulled to remove solid matter from the cgamber without disturbing the adjacent anc or.

4. In a device of the class described, a reactionchamber for converting hot petroleum oils into lighter oils and coke, said chamber having a relatively large openin a removable cover for said opening, a flexible tension element, breakable means for holding said tension element in spaced loops whereby the element and spaced loops may be introduced through said opening andsupported as aunit in said chamber, and means for exerting a tension on said element whereby the breakable means are broken and the loops are pulled out.

5. In apparatus of the class described,a vertical reaction chamber for converting hot heavy petroleum hydrocarbon oils into lighter oils and coke, means for discharging light products from said chamber, a removable closure at the base of said chamber, a flexible tension element, means consisting of wire ties for holding said tension element in loops whereby said element may be inserted as a unit into said chamber and suspended from the top thereof, the wire ties holding the element in spaced loops in said chamber, and means for exerting tension on said element whereby said wire ties are broken and the element is pulled from the chamber in increments.

Signed'thisllth day of February, 1930, at Whiting, county of Lake, State of Indiana.

GEORGE W. WATTS.

WALLACE B. MATHEWS.

chamber, a plurality of chains mounted there- 

